A circuit that generates a signal for which an oscillating frequency of the signal is proportional to an applied voltage may be referred to as a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). The value of the VCO gain, Kvco, may control the amount by which the oscillating frequency of a time-varying signal generated by a VCO may change based on a change in the voltage level of a control signal.
VCOs may be used in a wide variety of applications and they may be a main building block of Phase-Locked Loops (PLLs). PLLs are electronic feedback circuits that may be used to track, for example, the frequency changes in an FM modulated signal and may be used as demodulator and a variety of other applications in communication systems. Additionally, PLLs may comprise a loop filter which may smooth adjustments of the VCO control voltage in order to generate a signal with a more stable frequency and less noise and/or spurs.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.